EDIBLE BERRIES ARE A RICH SOURCE OF ANTHOCYANINS WHICH HAVE BEEN TOUTED FOR THEIR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. EMERGING RESEARCH FINDS THAT BERRY ANTHOCYANINS HAVE AN ANTI-DIABETIC AND ANTI-OBESITY EFFECT. SEVERAL RODENT STUDIES HIGHLIGHT THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BERRY CONSUMPTION WHEN PAIRED WITH A HIGH-FAT DIET AND A PLETHORA OF HUMAN CLINICAL WORK HIGHLIGHTS THE INSULIN-SENSITIZING EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT BERRY VARIETIES. WE HAVE DESCRIBED BOTH EFFECTS IN OUR EARLIER CLINICAL WORK; HOWEVER A MAJOR LIMITATION IS THE HIGH VOLUME OF BERRIES REQUIRED TO REACH ANTHOCYANIN DOSES THOUGHT TO ELICIT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH. ELDERBERRIES WITH BROAD POTENTIAL FOR CULTIVATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE A DENSE SOURCE OF ANTHOCYANINS AND OTHER FLAVONOIDS AND ARE A CANDIDATE FOOD TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THRESHOLD ANTHOCYANIN DOSE. OUR PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE BIOACTIVE POTENTIAL OF ELDERBERRIES IN HUMANS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO DETERMINE THE ABILITY OF ELDERBERRY INGESTION TO AUGMENT OR IMPROVE 3 MEASURES: 1 SUBSTRATE OXIDATION; 2 INSULIN SENSITIVITY; AND 3 THE GUT MICROBIOME IN OBESE STUDY VOLUNTEERS. WE WILL CONDUCT A RANDOMIZED CROSSOVER PLACEBO-CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL WHERE SUBJECTS WILL BE FED APPROXIMATELY A HALF CUP OF ELDERBERRY JUICE OR PLACEBO IN COMBINATION WITH A CONTROLLED HIGH-FAT DIET FOR 7 DAYS. MEASURES ON INDIRECT CALORIMETRY MEAL TOLERANCE AND THE MICROBIOME WILL BE PERFORMED AT THE END OF EACH DIET PERIOD. THIS SEED PROJECT WILL PROVIDE PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE USEFULNESS OF ELDERBERRIES TO ENHANCE DIETARY APPROACHES TOWARDS THE PREVENTION AND/OR IMPROVEMENT OF OBESITY AND INSULIN RESISTANCE. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH AFRI'S PROGRAM AREA TO INVESTIGATE FOOD FOR HUMAN HEALTH.